The Patriots moved on from defensive linemen Jerel Worthy and Tommy Kelly while making their way down to 53 players and they continued to show a taste for younger options up front on Sunday.
The team announced that they have claimed a pair of rookie defensive linemen off of waivers. Bruce Gaston was waived by the Cardinals after signing with them as an undrafted free agent out of Purdue, where he started 44 games and recorded seven sacks. Interestingly, Gaston was dropped by the Cardinals shortly after they signed Kelly to bolster their defensive line.
The Patriots also added Kelcy Quarles, who had 13 sacks in 35 games at South Carolina and was dropped by the Giants on their way to 53 players.
One of the roster spots needed for the new players was cleared when the Pats traded quarterback Ryan Mallett to the Texans, a move that the team officially confirmed on Sunday afternoon. They cleared the other one by releasing linebacker Chris White, who played all 16 regular season games for the Patriots as a special teamer last season.